Jewel of a Knight of Alcantara

Description:

'Cross of the Order of Alcantara. Knight's Cross in the form of a receptacle; the body consists of an oval containing a fretted Cross, each arm terminating in a fleur-de-lys; there is a small suspension-loop at the top. The lid, which fits tightly, bears a representation of a long- haired, bearded Saint, with a tree in the background; the Saint is St Julien, the tree a pear-tree. The owner has not been identified'. From Flanagan, L. (1988) Ireland's Armada Legacy, p.192